The light bulb will begin to be phased out of the market starting Autumn 2009, as a result of a decision taken by the EU. Starting 1 September 2009 all frosted and other light bulbs of over 75 watts will no longer be for sale, to be followed gradually by lower-wattage light bulbs later on. There are good reasons for this as the conventional light bulb is not too ‘bright’: it only converts about fi... read more
Beware: Not every natural substance in cleansers is healthy or environmentally friendly
Some 450,000 tonnes of cleansing agents are sold in Germany annually, of which some 250,000 tonnes are dish-washing detergents and another 200,000 tonnes are household cleaners. Manufacturers will sometimes tout their use of natural materials in some products, for example orange oil or citrus oil. However, some natural substances can trigger contact allergies or are harmful to the environment. ”Wh... read more
Power-hungry refrigerators, freezers, and washing machines to disappear from the market
The EU Parliament is due to decide tomorrow (Wednesday) on more stringent standards in the energy efficiency of refrigerators, freezers, and washing machines. Should the Parliament approve the proposals made by the EU Member States in late March, any washing machine, fridge or freezer with an energy efficiency class lower than ‘A’ would be eliminated from the market starting July 2010. A second st... read more
Noise: Stress starts in childhood
Daily life exerts constant stress on children’s ears. Tests conducted by the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) about noise exposure and the impact of noise on 1,048 children aged 8-14 demonstrate that one in every eight children suffer considerable impairment of hearing ability. One in every six children lives along roads with heavy traffic, and the child’s bedroom in nearly three thirds of the hou... read more
TV sets to consume less energy
TV sets are to use less energy in future. Citizens can see just how much by means of new energy use labelling, which is the result of a resolution passed in late March by the EU Member States in a regulatory committee for eco-design in Brussels. Approval by the EU Parliament and Council is still pending. Once the regulations enter into force, a total of 43 terawatt hours (TWh) of energy over the... read more
Blue Angel with new requirements of tyres
The newly launched Blue Angel for low-noise and fuel-saving tyres has set new and ambitious standards relating to environment, health and economy that are orientated towards the caps that will apply across the EU as of 2012. The criteria for award of the Blue Angel make high demands of tyres: they must be low-noise and use little fuel, and this will ease the load on car drivers’ purses as well. Mo... read more
Mitigating the consequences of demographic change
Demographic change and its consequences could cause a deterioration of real estate values in many regions of Germany and thus lead to considerable losses of fortune. The Federal Environment Agency (UBA) is calling upon the governments at federal, Länder and municipal levels to counteract the impact of demographic changes now with a view to mitigation. ”The most crucial measure to be taken is to sl... read more
Germany’s drinking water rates ’good’ to ‘very good’
The quality of the drinking water supplied by Germany’s more than 2,600 large central water utilities rates ‘good’ to ‘very good’. This is the conclusion reached in the second report by the Federal Ministry for Health (BMG) and the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) on the quality of water intended for human consumption, which reviewed the years 2005-2007. According to the report, more than 99 perce... read more
